European Union News

According to MEPs, the EU patent package is closer to final approval after the Legal Affairs Committee at the EP approved a mandate to open formal negotiations with national governments to agree to create unitary patent. The approval would reduce current patenting costs by up to 80%, and would help to avoid the legal confusion created when dealing with differing national patent laws.

In an Opinion, EDPS calls for strengthening of proposed Regulation on the Internal Market Information System. In particular, the EDPS supports a consistent approach to data protection in establishing an electronic system for the exchange of information, including relevant personal data.

The European Red List shows that a considerable portion of Europe’s native fauna and flora, finding that a large proportion of molluscs, freshwater fish and vascular plants now fall into the threatened category. The List also highlights that many species protected under the EU Habitats Directive and included in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas now have an improved chance of survival.

The Joint Assembly of MEPs and their counterparts from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries held in Togo focuses this occasion on the consequences of the Arab Spring in Sub-Saharan Africa, the impact of indebtedness on development aid and the food crisis in the Horn of Africa.

The European Commission proposes to strengthen dialogue and operational cooperation with non-EU partner countries in the area of migration and mobility. The Commission is therefore setting up a strategic policy framework for migration and development clear and consistent. Within the strategy, Mobility Partnerships will be offered to the EU's immediate Neighbourhood and to Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt in the first instance.

The Commission has proposed that from now on, all vessels fishing in EU waters and all EU vessels fishing anywhere in the world will have to land sharks with the fins still attached. Shark finning is the practice of cutting off the fins of sharks – often while they are still alive - and then throwing back into the sea the shark without its fins.

Europe's protected natural areas have been expanded throughout the Natura 2000 network. In particular, nearly 18,800 square kilometres have been added, including a major addition of marine areas covering 17,000 square kilometres which will increase protection for many endangered marine species. The main countries involved in this latest expansion are the UK, France, Belgium, Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Lithuania and Italy.

The European Commission published its proposals for nine industry sectors in order to ensure better product safety. The sectors concerned are electrical and electronic products, lifts, measuring instruments, civil explosives, pyrotechnic articles and equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

With the signature of an administrative agreement between the European Commission and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the two partners commit to fostering cooperation in disaster risk reduction, resilience and response to disasters.

The European Commission revealed its action plan against antimicrobial resistance which includes 12 concrete actions to be implemented in close cooperation with the Member States. The measure has been taken because about 25,000 patients dying per year in the EU from infections caused by drug resistant bacteria.

The European Parliament and the Council, meeting within the Conciliation Committee, reached an agreement on the EU budget for 2012 on 18 November. The final adoption is expected to be taken before the end of the 2011 year.

The European Commission approved additional EU support for the promotion of fresh fruit and vegetables following the E-coli crisis on the internal market and third countries. The total budget for the 14 programmes approved, running for a period of three years, is €34.1 million of which the EU contributes €17.0 million (50%).